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Harry's Grandparents

So, I've been tossing around an idea for a one-shot lately, and I realized that I'm lacking in information about Harry's grandparents. When Lily and James were killed, were any of his grandparents alive, or were they all deceased at that point? I'm not sure what happened to them or what would be canon. Can anyone help me out here?

I think that JKR has said that all of Harry's grandparents were dead when he was orphaned (which is why he had to go to the Dursleys). She also said that there was nothing sinister about any of their deaths. James' parents were quite old when they had him. There is a thread discussing them them here. According to the lexicon, his father was a Gryffindor, but that's all the concrete information we have.

We know even less about the Evans family. They were Muggles, they were proud of Lily, and that's about it. Anything else is really up to you.

I'm not 100% certain, but I do think that Dumbledore says in OotP that he sent Harry to his only living relatives. I don't have the book with my right now, but I do think so.

Anyway, it seems very unlikely to me that Harry's grandparents, if they were alive, wouldn't contact him when he was living with the Dursleys'. Wouldn't they want to visit the orphaned grandson? Lily's parents were not afraid of or opposed to magic like Petunia, so I'm sure they would have loved to take care of Harry, especially since they probably suspected Petunia and Vernon wouldn't be too keen on it.

JKR has said James's parents died a natural death, which to me suggests that they died before their son was killed. I'm also quite sure that the reason Lily and James could work for the order (and not have other jobs) after school was that James's parents had left him their fortune (which again probably means they had passed away already). JKR has stated that they were old when they had their first (and only child) and that is why they spoiled James a bit, and that supports the fact that they died naturally - possibly of old age.

Everyone is completely right, but just to put some concrete evidence, here is the quote from JK herself in a Leaky Cauldron interview. You can find the whole interview at the Lexicon, right on James page under the Family portion.

Originally Posted by Lexicon/TLC interview

JKR: No. This takes us into more mundane territory. As a writer, it was more interesting, plot-wise, if Harry was completely alone. So I rather ruthlessly disposed of his entire family apart from Aunt Petunia. I mean, James and Lily are massively important to the plot, of course, but the grandparents? No. And, because I do like my backstory: Petunia and Lily's parents, normal Muggle death. James's parents were elderly, were getting on a little when he was born, which explains the only child, very pampered, had-him-late-in-life-so-he's-an-extra-treasure, as often happens, I think. They were old in wizarding terms, and they died. They succumbed to a wizarding illness. That's as far as it goes. There's nothing serious or sinister about those deaths. I just needed them out of the way so I killed them.

Their lives are really anything you want to make of them!

I think the question here should be, how old were James' parents? She says they were getting on when he was born, and that they were old when they died even by wizarding standards. Dumbledore is around 150 in the books, and I think he's considered quite old. Could it be possible for James' parents to have a child at 90-100+?

I've always wondered about that. After living for 90 years, why suddenly want a child?

According to the Black family tree, Dorea (nee Black) was born 1920 and died 1977, making her 56 or 57 when she died.

TheCursedQuill gives JKR's quote in full. JKR said: They were old in wizarding terms, and they died. 57 certainly isn't "old in wizarding terms", it isn't even old in Muggle terms, so on that basis, I'd say that JKR has, in fact, heavily hinted that Dorea and Charlus are NOT Harry's grandparents.

Old in wizarding terms is very old. It's possible that they were in their late fifties (or older) when James was born.